Compartment lock



Feb. 12, 1952 H, J, FELDMANN 2,585,643

COMPARTMENT LOCK Filed May 25, 1947 ENTOR /f Q/Q/a A/A/ ATTO R N EY Patented Feb. l2, 1.952Y

UNITED OFFICE i 2,585,643` v .COMPARTMENT L CK Henry J.Feldmann,Detroit; Mich., Vassignor to 'The Yale YtTowxle4 Manufacturing Company, Stamford,v Conn.,:acorporationfof Connecticut AApplication'Mayv23, 1947, Serial No.l7`49,989

(Clam-+81).-

. Iz'Claim. 1 y

This invention relates to a lock, and more v-p'articularly to a type of lock adapted -for use in an automobile for locking the usualglove compartment found in modern cars. Of'course.. the lock of'myr invention may beused'in other: places, as will hereinafter appear and my invention lshould not be considered therefore Yas limited tenseA on automobiles.

It is highly desirable that an automotive'compartment lock be rendered manually operable under certain conditions, and key` operable under other conditions. Thus, itis frequently desirable that the compartment be readily accessible through simple manual operation, While on the other hand, it may become desirable that the lock be operableY only by key..

`At the present time, the particular operations indicated are generally contributed bylocks in which a key plug, suitably controlled by tumblers and a key, is manually actuated by inward'pressure when, in one rotated position. Upon'locking of the key plugin aV second rotated position by the tumblers, inward pressure'will no-longer move the key plugv and key operation is necessary if access is to be obtained lto the compartment. Generally, the lock is mounted on the door of' the compartment-so that inward pressure of the key plug is directly opposed to the unlocking movement of the door on whiclr the compartment lock is installed. vFor:the.,partieularreasom an automobile compartment door: is Y,generally equipped with strong springs ,tending to move the door to open position upon retraction of the latchbolt. It is therefore against the pressure of'this spring-actionl that the entire door is-fmoved when the-iinger depresses the key plug to release the latchbolt. Those-skilledy in the art vreadily understand the disadvantage of this type of construction on which the manual pressure is always directed toward closing the door when open ing movement of the door is desired.

It is the object of my invention to contribute a compartment lock in which the operation may be manual or by key, with both operations under the control of a key and tumblers, the manual operation being through rotation of the key plug rather than by push-in movement. it is possible to use my lock on doors that are spring pressed either to open position or to closed positionj, or on compartment doors that are not pressed by spring into either position.

As one feature of my invention, I utilize a key plug equipped with locking tumblers and having a linger piece as an integral part thereof so that the key plug may be rotated readily either-by the fingers or by key.

Therefore, A,

nur -As-a more particularffeature'of'my invention, If utilize alook iirwhich the key plug may be held in-one position in which itis readily rotatable against-:the:pressurefof a spring to a limited de-vA gree,nwhereasin a second rotated position, it is maintainedagainstrany'rotation whatsoever. As

a still further feature of thispart of the invention,i.tunible`rs movable within the ykeyV plug' itself are utilizedv to:l lock the key plug: against any rotaticngwhatscevergor to:maintain the key -plugfor limited; rotation, ypreferably against spring pressure.

L have thus outlined rather broadly vthe-more importantfeatures'of my invention in order that the :detailed description thereof vthat follows may be betterunderstoodJ and in order that my contribution ,to the artmay bebetter appreciated. There are, of course, additionalzfeatures of my invez-itionxthatV will be'described hereinafter and 5. is-a.- sectionsimilartdlig. l, but showing the key K plug lrotated 90 counter/'clockwise through the insertionof` the key for setting the several tumblers.

IEteierri'ngy now, more particularly tothe drawl ings, thelock -of my invention utilizes a key plug IU adapted for rotationin a cylinderor housing iii, preferablyiormed of two parts I2A and I3 suitably united asis clearly shown in the drawings. For retaining the key plug I0 within the cylinder or housing I I there is utilized a retainer slide R of a type well-known in the art and adapted to fit Within a slot I Za of the housing II. Covering the forward end of the housing or cylinder II is what is termed a scalp I4, the scalp I4 serving as a decorative member and also to assist in holding the parts I 2 and I3 assembled.

The forward end of the key plug I0 is formed with a pair of integral arms I5 that function as a linger piece whereby the key plug I0 may be readily rotated manually. Key plug I0 houses a series of sliding plate tumblers I6 spring pressed outwardly of the key plug by a series of springs I 1,

and adapted for retraction entirely within the key plug by a key I8 shown in section in Fig. 5. Cooperating with the tumblers I6 are three slots 3 formed in housing I I designated by reference numerals I9, 20, and 2I and best seen in Figs. 4 and 5. Slots I9 and 20 are of the same width and extend longitudinally of the housing or cylinder II while slot 2| is of rather considerable length, and also extends longitudinally of the Fig. 5, the two arms I5 are vertical instead of horizontal as'in Figs. 1 and 2. If the key I8 is now inserted into the key plug I0 as seen in Fig. 5, tumblers I6 are all retracted to lie entirely within the said key plug and the key plug may.-y

then be rotated to its position of Fig. 4. If the key is now removed, the tumblers I6 will all move to the position indicated in Fig. '4 with their locking ends projected into the long slot 2I. It is obvious that key plug I0 may now rotate within the limits permitted by the relativewidths of the locking ends of the tumblers I6 `and the length of the slot 2|.

This rotation of the key plug is utilized to retract a latchbolt 22 mounted for sliding movement in a bore 23 formed at the end lof the housing II. The latchbolt 22 is normally projected upwardly into its position of Fig. 2 by a pair of springs 24' operating between surfaces 25 of the latchbolt 22 and the ends 26 of guide ribs 21 formed on the housing II. A cam lug 28 is formed -on the latchbolt 22 as best seen in Fig. 6 and cooperable with this cam lug is a retracting lug 29 integral with the key plug I0. It is the functionl of the two springs 24 to project the latchbolt 22 and to bring the cam lug 28 against the retracting lug 29, thereby to maintain the key plug I0 in its position illustrated in Fig. 4. If the key plug is rotated in a clockwise direction in Fig. 4 and therefore in a clockwise direction in Fig. 6, itis obvious that the retracting lug 29 will operate kagainst the cam lug 28 to retract the latchbolt 22. This will be the operation of the key plug I0 when the key is withdrawn in the position of Fig. 4 and the key plug made operable by the arms I5.

If it is now desired to lock the key plug against manual rotation, a key is inserted in Fig. 4, moving the tumblers entirely within key plug ID. Rotation of the key plug counterclockwise 90 will now bring the tumblers I6 opposite the slot I9 as seen in Fig. 5. Removal of the key I8 will now allow the several tumblers to be projected into the slot I9 and the key plug I0 will be held against any rotation whatsoever. Thus, it is readily seen that the key plugmay be locked at any time so as to be inoperative except by key, or so as to be operative manually for a limited degree as required to retract the latchbolt 22.

I believe that the operation and construction of my invention will now be apparent to those skilled in the art.

I now claim:

In a lock of the class described, a cylinder, a bolt slidably mounted in a transverse bore at the end of said cylinder, a spring pressing said bolt into a locking position relatively to said cylinder, a key plug rotatably mounted in a bore of said cylinder in communication with said transverse bore, a finger piece on said keyplug outside said der from a iirst position, said tumblers being:

adapted to be withdrawn into said key plug by a suitable key inserted into a keyway of said key plug whereby said key plug is released for rotation relatively to said cylinder to a second position, the removal of said key from the keyway when said key plug is in said second position then eiecting the projection of said tumblers into a second slot of said cylinder, a part at the inner end of said key plug spaced from said bolt when said vkey plug is in said rst position and moving into juxtaposed relation to a part of saidbolt when said key plug is moved into said second position, said vsecond slot being of sufficient size to allow rotation of the key plug and tumblers fromv said second position by said finger piece and without retraction of said tumblers, and said key plug part having camming relationship with said bolt part within said key plug bore during said rotation of the key plug from said second position` for retracting said spring pressed bolt against the resistance of said spring.

HENRY J.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

